US President Donald Trump plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest over Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump said that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine after a productive meeting.
The date of the meeting was not specified, but Mr. Trump said in a social media post that he believed “great progress was made on today’s phone call.”
Mr. Trump was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.
As Ukraine and Russia escalate their war with major attacks on energy systems, Mr. Zelensky was expected to push for more military support, including potential long-range offensive missiles.
Ukraine is seeking US Tomahawk long-range missiles that would put Moscow and other major Russian cities within Ukraine’s missile firing range.
Mr. Trump, who has vowed to end the war launched by Russia with its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has expressed growing frustration with Putin over ongoing attacks.
Trump said he could supply weapons to Ukraine if Putin does not come to the negotiating table.
In its latest offensive, Russia launched more than 300 drones and 37 missiles to target infrastructure across Ukraine in night attacks on Thursday, Mr. Zelensky said.
Ukraine stepped up attacks against Russian targets on Thursday, including an oil refinery in the Saratov region.
As the war enters its fourth year, Russia has been hitting Ukraine’s energy and electrical facilities for consecutive winters.
In his latest warnings to Russia on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying oil from Russia and that the administration would force China to do the same.
India has not confirmed any such commitment, although Reuters has reported that some Indian refiners are preparing to cut oil imports from Russia in anticipation of a gradual decline, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that US “continued aggression will impose costs on Russia” unless the war ends.
